Aeroplane-engine-starting apparatus



R. HARRIS.

.AEROPLANE ENGINE STARTING APPARATUS- I APPLICATION FILED NOV- 24, 1920- 1,4003%.

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INVENTOR. EEx hIQEE/S.

: ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 20, 192 1.

R. HARRIS. AEROPLANE ENGINE STARTING APPARATUS.

APPLICATIONIFILED NOV, 24, 1.920.

1,400,745. Patented Dec. 20, 1921.

IN VEN TOR. EEX #45 5 @rM MMMA ATTORNEY REX tannins, or SAN PATENT oFFiecsQ DIEGO, CALIFORNIA.

AIEIROIPLAINIIEZ-ENG-INIii-STARTING- APPARATUS.

moans.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 20, 19211.

Application filed November 24, 1920. Serial No. 426311.

To all whom it"mag concern:

Be it known that I, Rnx HARRIS, a citizen of the United States,'residing at San Diego,

in the county of San Diego and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Aeroplane-Engine-Starting Apparatus, of which the following is a specification'.

the'engine is started and seventh, to provide My invention relates to aeroplane engine starting apparatus and the objects of my in vention are: first, to provide an aeroplane engine startin apparatus which is operated by the pivota movement of the aeroplane fuselage upon its supporting axles;'second, to providean apparatus of this class wherein the person starting the engine is positioned.

behind it and uses the length of the machine from its supporting axle ba'ckwardly as leverage for starting the engine; third, to provide anapparatus of this class which con nects with the main shaft of the engine and a lever supported on the fuselage and in engagement with the ground; fourth, to pro- -vide an aeroplane with a novel engine starting apparatus; fifth, to provide an apparatus of this class by the use of which an aeroplane engine may be easily startedby one person without endangering the person starting the same; sixth, to provide an apparatus of this class in which the starting apparatus is automatically released from the main shaft when an apparatus of this class which is very simple and economical of construction, dur-' able, easy to operate, easy to install, applicable for use in connection with the various aeroplanes now in use and which will not readily deteriorate or get out of order.

With these and other objects in view as will appear hereinafter my invention consists of certain novel features of construe tion, combination and arrangement of parts and portions as will be hereinafter described in detail and particularly set forth in the appended claims, refer'encebeing had to the accompanying drawings and to the characters of reference thereon which form a part of this application in which: I

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of an aeroplane with my starting apparatus in operative position thereon and showing by dotted lines the position of the aeroplane with the rear end raised and ready to start the engine; Fig. .2 is a detailed enlarged fragmentary side elevational view of the lever andlever supporting pottion of my,

apparatus and' showing by dotted lines the position of the lever and cable support after tional view through 6-6 of Fig. 5; ig. 7

is a fragmentary side elevational view showing the lever 9 and its support in a slightly modified form from-that of the other views of the drawings and Fig. 8 is another similar view in another slightly modified form.

Similar characters of reference refer to similar parts and portions throughout the several views of the drawings.

The' supporting member 1, revoluble lever member 2, ratchet wheel 3, ratchet pawl 4, sprlng 5, s'prlng 6, cable 7 arm member 8,

lever 9 and ratchet pawl 10 constitute the principal parts and portions of my aeroplane engine starting apparatus.

The supporting member 1 is secured on the front end of the radiator portion around the main shaft and it;is provided with an .ex'

tended sleeve member 1. On this extended sleeve member 1 is revolubly mounted the lever member 2 and this lever member 2 is provided with an annular recess between the 1ub portion 2 and the flange 2 Secured to this lever member 2 is the one end of the torsion spring 5 and the other end of said spring is secured to-the support 1, shown best in Fig. 5 of the drawings. Rigidly secured to the propeller by means of bolts 3 is the ratchet wheel .3 so that the ratchet wheel revolveswith the shaft at all times and pivotally mounted on the lever member 2 is a ratchet pawl l, the one end of which is adapted to engage the teeth of the ratchet wheel 3 and it-is held-in engaging" position by means of a spring 4? so that it .engages the teeth of the ratchet wheel 3 when the lever 2 1S turned in one direction for starting the engine but moves over said teeth when it moves in the opposite direction. The

spring 6 which is adapted to engage the one side of the extended lug member l" when the lever member revolves in one direction and the other side of said lug when it moves in the oppositedirection, thus providing means for throwing the ratchet pawl out of env to starting the engine.

gagement with the ratchet wheel while the engine is running after being started, it being noted that this spring will engage this lug on the outer side at all times when running in one direction but when it reverses, the spring will engage the other side and thrust it out of engagement and hold it out of engagement against the tension of the spring 4. This member 2 is provided with an extended member 2 which is provided with a groove which connects with a spiral groove on the edge of the member 2 and the cable 7 is mounted over the end of this lever member 2 and extends around said member 2 in the spiral groove and is secured thereto. The other endof the cable 7 extends downwardly over a sheave 7 a mounted on the edge of the radiator front as shown best in Figs. 1 and 4. of the drawings. Pivotally mounted on the supporting axle of the aeroplane is a lever 9, on the one end of which is mounted a sheave 9 and the other ends are adapted to rest on the round when the aeroplane is positioned as SiOWIl by solider dotted lines in Fig. 1 of the drawin s and preparatory iPivotally mounted on this short end of this lever 9 is an arm member 8 by means of a hinge 8 and mounted-in the one end of the arm member is a sheave 8 over which the cable 7 extends and its end is secured to the lever 9 at a point 9, shown best in 'Fig. 2 of the drawings. It will be noted that this arm member 8 is adapted tobe manually turned to the osi-, tion shown by dotted lines in Fig. 2 o the drawings after the release of the cable 7 when the tail end of the aeroplane has been thrust downwardly for starting the engine.

Pivotally mounted on this lever 9 is a pawl 10 which is provided with a spring 10 which is adapted to engage the back edge of the stream line member positioned on the axle of the aeroplane for holding the extended end of the lever member 9 up from the ground, once it hasbeen raised up as shown best by dotted lines in Fig. 2 of the drawmgs.

In the modified form of construction shown in Fig. 7 of the drawings, the lever 9 is mounted below the axle and is supported by means of a strap member 11, while in the modified form of construction shown in Fig. 8, the lever is mounted above the axle and 1s supported by a strap member 12 extending downwardly around the axle and, each provided with a slightly differently arranged ratchet pawl for engagement with the stream line member positioned on the axle for supporting the lever off of the ground when the aeroplane is ready for flight after the engine is started, otherwise the structure is the same. Though I have shown and described a particular construction, combination and arrangement of parts and portions and .cer-I I tain modifications thereof I do not wish to be limited to this particular construction, combination and arrangement, nor to the modifications thereof but desire to include in the purview of my invention the construction; combination and arrangement substantially as set forth in the appended claims.

It is obviousthat with this construction, there is provided an apparatus for starting aeroplanes which will operate as follows: The tail end of the aeroplane is raised to the position shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1 of the drawings, the extended end of the lever 9 resting on the ground, then by thrusting the tail end of the aeroplane down to the position shown by solid lines'in Fig. 1 "of the drawings, the relative position of the front end ofthe aeroplane with the lever 9 and arm support 8 will cause the cable 7 to turn the lever member 2 as shown best by dotted lines in F1 4 of the drawings, the ratchet pawl 4 wil? engage the ratchet wheel 3 which carries the shaft with it, thereby turning the shaft and starting the engine, after which the arm member 8 may be manually moved on its pivotal mounting8 until the end engages the member 9 which fwill aving thus described my invention what i I claim as new and desire to secure by Let ters Patent is:

1. A starting apparatus for aeroplane engines, including a lever member revolubly mounted upon the main shaft of the engine, a ratchet wheel iii connection with the main shaft, a ratchet pawl mounted on said lever member adapted to engage said ratchet wheel, a lever supported on a supporting axle of the aeroplane anda cable-connecting saidlever with the lever on said axle supportin member whereby said lever member W111 be revolved, carrying with it the shaft of the engine with the lowering of the rear end of the aeroplane.

2. A starting apparatus for aeroplane engines, includlng a lever member revolubly mounted upon the main shaft of the engine, a ratchet wheel secured in connec-. tion with the main shaft, a ratchet pawl mounted on said lever member adapted to engage the teeth on said ratchet wheel, means mounted on the aeroplane adapted to engage said ratchet pawl for holding it out of engagement with the ratchet wheel when said ratchet wheel is in certain rela tive position to said lover, a lever pivotally mounted on the supporting axle of the aeroplane with one end adapted to rest on the ground, an arm member pivotally mounted on the opposite ends of said lever and a cable connecting said lever intermediate its ends with the lever revolubly mounted on the aeroplane engine shaft.

3. A starting apparatus for aeroplane engines, including the combination with an aeroplane, of a lever revolubly mounted on the main shaft of the engine, a ratchet wheel secured in connection with the main shaft of the engine, a ratchet pawl mounted on said lever member adapted to engage said ratchet wheel and turn said ratchet wheel, together with the shaft, when said lever member is revolved in one direction, a lever supported on the supporting axle of the aeroplane and a cable connecting said lever with the lever on said axle supporting member whereby said lever member will be revolved, carrying with it the shaft of the engine with the lowering of the tail end of the aeroplane.

'4. A starting apparatus for aeroplane engines, including a lever member revolubly mounted upon the main shaft of the engine, a spring with one end connected to said revoluble lever member and its other end supported on the aeroplane, a ratchet wheel in connection with the main shaft, a ratchet pawl mounted on said lever member adapted to engage the ratchet wheel on said main shaft, means for throwing said ratchet pawl out of engagement with said shaft when the lever is moved backwardly by the spring, and means mounted on the supporting axle of the aeroplane and connecting with said revoluble lever member for turning said lever member with the up ward and downward movement of the rear end of the aeroplane.

5. A starting .apparatus for aeroplane engines, including a ratchet operated shaft, a lever member supported on the aeroplane adapted to engage the ground, a cable sup ported on said lever in operative connection with said ratchet operating mechanism whereby the ratchet member is operated with the movement of the rear end of the plane downwardly.

6. A starting apparatus for aeroplane engines, including in combination with an aeroplane fuselage, of a supporting member secured on said fuselage around the main engine shaft, a lever revolubly mount ed on said shaft adjacent said supporting member, a spring connecting said revoluble member with said supporting member, a ratchet wheel secured in connection with said shaft, a ratchet pawl mounted on said day of November, 1920.

REX HARRIS. 

